Dual electrical outlet device



May 6, 1930. H. E. SLADE DUAL ELECTRICAL OUTLET DEVICE Filed Marph 28,1927 A 9 gay/ w Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLDE SLAIDE, or GLEN RIDGE, NEW JEEsEY, ASSIGNOR 'ro BEAVER MACHINE a moonco, mo, OENEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY DUALELECTRICAL OUTLET DEVICE- Application filed March as, 1927. Serial No.178,943.

- My invention relates to a new and useful dual electrical outlet deviceof the type adaptthrough ed to be rigidly secured or mounted upon a wallor other support, exteriorly thereof, and it relates'more particularlyto an electrical outlet device of this. character adapted to receive thecontact blades of n blade type of electrical connector plug, and whichmay be wired, assembled and mounted with great ease and facility andwithout the exercise of more than'ordinary skill, whereby a safe anddurable electrical installation may be made by a layman. a My inventionrelates further to an. electrical outlet device of the character stated,which is adapted to receive a pair of electrical connector plugs, thatis, which is adapted to effect a dual or multiple connection with asingle electrical circuit.

With the above ends in view, my invention consists of a generallyelongated insulating housing, comprising body and closure members,either formed integrally'or built up of several sections, said bodymember having a plurality of sets or pairs of spaced blade receivingapertures extending therethrough, the outer ends of which, electricalcontact blades may be inserted, said plurality of pairs of-aperturesbeing spaced from each other a suitable distance to accommodate acorresponding plurality of conventional blade type connector plugs.

My invention further consists of blade engaging electrical contactmembers disposed within each of said recesses, having suitable wireengaging means at their inner ends in said closure member or membersbeing superimposed upon said body, so as to confine said electricalcontact members within the same, means detachably to secure said closuremember or members to said body, and apertures extending through saidbodyand closure members, intermediate of each pair of blade engagingapertures, for the reception of fastening and supporting means, such asscrews or the like, whereby the dual electrical outlet device may berigidly attached to a wall or other support. e

By the use of my novel dual electrical outlet device. an electricalcircuit may be tanned a conventional with two plugs by means of a.single installation, and more al ucu 'arly by use of my dual electricaldevice, a duplex electrical conductor may be utilized with great ease tooro vide two electrical outlets therefrom with buta single installation.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings, forms thereof which are at present preferred byme, since they will give in practice, satisfactory and reliable results,although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities ofwhieh my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized andthat my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement zation ofthese instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference charactersindicate like parts,

Figure 1 represents a top plan .view of a dual electrical outlet deviceembodying my invention.

Figure 2 represents a bottom plan view of the same, with the closure orcap member removed therefrom, so as to expose to view the wiring of thesame.

Figure 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

- Figure 4 represents a section on line l--4 of Flgure 1. 1

Figure 5 represents a section similar to that shown in Figure 4,illustrating a modified embodiment of my invention.

Figure 6 represents a top plan View of a modified construction embodyingmy inventlon.

The novel dual electrical outlet device of my invention, comprises agenerally elongated body 1-, formed of any suitable insulating material,preferably having parallel longitudinal walls, and semicircular terminalportions. The elongated body 1 is provided with two pairs of spacedapertures 2 and 3 extending therethrough, said pairs of apertures beingspaced from each other a suitable distance to accommodate the bodyportions of two electrical connector plugs. outer terminals of each ofthe apertures 2 and 3 is narrowed somewhat so as to provide The andorganishoulders 4 against which the outer ends of suitable bladeengaging electrical spring contacts 5 may abut, so'as to prevent anyoutward displacement thereof with respect to the housing, as shown inFigure 3. The blade engaging electrical spring contacts 5 are providedwith suitable spring contact portions which are adapted yieldably tobear against the blades of an electrical connector plug inserted intothe apertures 2 and 3.

The inner ends of the spring contact -mem bers 5 carry any suitable wireengaging means 7 such as the opposed and staggered spring prongs ortongues 8 and 9, between which an electrical conductor wire 10, of theduplex conductor 11 may be inserted. I

By disposing the contact recesses and contacts at an angle to the axesof the housing, I am enabled to reduce the width or transverse dimensionof the housing with obvious attendant advantages.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive,caps or closure members 12 and 13 are superimposed upon each of thepairs or sets of electrical contacts 5, disposed within the recesses 2and 3 respectively, said closures being provided with suitable recesses14, for the reception of the wire engaging means 7, suitable shoulders15 being provided in said recesses 14 for engaging the upper contactprongs 9, when the housing is assembled, so as to force the lattertowards the spring prongs 8, and thereby to clamp the electricalconductor 10 bez tween said opposed spring prongs and thereby also toconfine the electrical contact members 5 within the recesses 2.and 3.Each of the closure members 12 and 13 is'secured to the housing 1 bymeans of a pair of screws 16 extending through suitable apertures 17 insaid closure members and threadedly anchored in suitable internallythreaded metallic bushings 18, suitably secured within the body 1, as bymolding the same thereinto.

Intermediate of each pair of apertures 2 and 3 respectively, apertures19 and 20 respectively are provided not only extending through the body1 of the housing, but also extending through the corresponding closuremembers 12 and 13. The apertures 19 and -20 are adapted to receivecorresponding screws or other fastening devices 21, having portionsprojecting their threaded terminal beyond the housing, rigidly to securethe housing as a whole to a wall or other support.

In the modified embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figure 5, asingle integral closure 22 is provided, of substantially the samecontour as the body 1. I

In Figure 6 I have illustrated another embodiment of my invention,wherein the body portion of the housing is built up of two similarcylindrical sections 23 and 24 and an intermediate spacing or saddlemember 25 having two opposed semi-cylindrical seating surfaces 26adapted to receive the 'two eylindrical body sections 23 and 24, Ametallic band or-other strap 27 surrounds the three sections of the bodyand maintains the same in assembled relation to each other. The internalconstruction of this embodiment,that is, the arrangement and collocationof the parts, is identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to' 4 inclusiveand therefore does not need to be further illustrated or described,since the novel features of this embodiment consist in forming thehousing 1 of the separate parts 23, 24 and 25 and binding or assemblingthe same together by the band 27.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A duel electrical outlet comprisin an elongated insulating housingincluding ody and closure members having longitudinal grooves in theopposing surfaces thereof for the reception of a duplex electricalconductor, said body being formed of a pair of cylindrical outerportions and an intermediate saddle portion, a-peripheral bandsurrounding said body members to maintain the same in assembledrelation, a pair of angularly arranged oppositely disposed contactopenings in each of said cylindrical outer body portions extendingtherethrough on either side of. the axis of said grooves, angularlyarranged .blade engaging contacts disposedwithin said contact openingsand adapted'to receive corresponding contact blades through the outerends of said openings, and integral clips carried by the inner ends of:said blade engaging contacts to engage the conductor wires of said dulex conductor, said wires being diverged within the housing and disposedon either side of the longitudinal axis thereof, and means for'secur'ingsaid body and closure members together to form a unitary structure. i

' HAROLD E. SLADE.v

